Just Let It Begin
by KARMAxAMY
Summary: One kiss. In just one kiss with her best friend, Amy finds herself questioning everything about herself and her relationship with Karma. Multi-Chapter Story.
1. Chapter 1

**Just Let It Begin**

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Faking It.

**AN –** It may seem like a play-by-play of each episode, but it's not, I just needed to set up the foundations and the first episode is the best place to start. So bear with me.

_Chapter One_

Raising her phone above her head Amy frowned when her bar dipped one. "Come on." She grumbled, waving her phone in search for some bars. Murmuring "Fine.", she resigned to just strolling through Tumblr. There isn't enough signal on her phone to pick up Netflix; House Hunters will have to wait until Karma is finished with this _super fun_ party.

In the corner of her eye she caught the sight of a barely dressed girl being thrown into the bouncy castle by a bunch of drunk boys, their beer soaked bodies are soon stumbling in after her. Amy scoffs at her peer's behaviour. She was totally right, Amy _really_ didn't like high school after it had been drinking. Now if only her best friend thought the same. Instead she's on her own because apparently, it takes half an hour to get a drink in this place. So Amy moved outside to get away from the noise and saving her clothes from being soaked in cheap beer, not to mention the couple making out who actually fell in her lap. She honestly couldn't understand Karma's need to fit in with these people.

"Hey, you made it." Her thumb lifted from her iPhone, her tumbling interrupted by a slap against her knee. Shane Harvey, the second coolest kid in the school now stood in front of her, apparently happy about her appearance.

Great, she groaned inwardly, Shane wants to start a conversation with her. Where the hell is Karma? "Hey." Her mom's etiquette training is kicking in as she compliments his party, maybe not to her mom's standards, but Shane believes her somehow and thanks her for the compliment. When there's a beat of silence Amy jumps to fill it. She's not use to silence, Karma knows how to talk and Amy loves to listen, and if there _is_ a silence it's never as awkward as this. "My friends getting us beers, she'll be right back and she's much better at small talk." Amy watched as he pauses and she reminds herself that her mom often tells her that she needs to mince her words. Karma never seemed to think so-if her chuckles were anything to go by. Right now though, she didn't think what she said was outrageous enough for this reaction.

"Your friend, right." Her brows furrow at his suggestive tone. "Wink-wink-nudge-nudge. Just tell me, who went under the covers first."

Amy was taken aback. "Excuse me?" This conversation, if it could even be called that, has taken a weird turn, and now he's looking at her like he wants an answer when she didn't even understand question.

"I won't blab." He raised his hand, two fingers up. "Gay-scouts honour, I just…really want us to be friends." He pauses, the sly smile fading from his lips to reveal a real, softer version. "I've been craving lesbian energy in my life."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Look I'm…oddly flattered, but I'm not gay." Oddly flattered? Well, it was probably the most sensitive thing to say to Hester High Schools most popular and only gay student. Outright denying it would have insulted him. Right?

Shane gave her a look, his eyebrow raised and she could see he didn't believe her. Lowering himself to the shin high table opposite her, he continued. "I'm just going to flip on this closet light for a sec so we can talk okay?" Wow, he even added the pretentious fake pulling of a light switch on top of trying to convince her that she's gay. Small talk is so much easier with the girl she sits next to in bio. "You're gay." Her eyebrows furrowed, a nagging thumping is beginning to drum in the back of her head. "And its okay-there's no shame."

This talk would have been encouraging if she _was_ gay. Instead, it was getting really awkward; all she wants to do is run and find Karma, maybe hit her a little for keeping her waiting alone surrounded by the drunken teens. She wants to tell Shane to just leave her alone out here, but he's looking at her like he begging her to just _come out_, and if he wasn't trying to be sweet to someone who he thinks is a struggling lesbian stuck in a closet, Amy would have _just_ told him to leave her alone. But Karma and her goals of being popular rush to the forefront of her mind and she knows that she can't just rudely brush him aside. "I promise…not ashamed of anything."

But he wasn't listening, his mouth starting on his own coming out. "I was you once, _so_ terrified of rejection, it took me forever to come out-but once I did…fourth grade got so much better." Amy didn't even know ten year olds thought about girlfriends and boyfriends and sex, she still can't really think about sex without her cheeks firing up and a giggle bursting from her lips when she and Karma watch a sex scene, Karma just slaps her arm telling her to grow up, always grinning at her as she does though.

Right now however, she would rather watch a hundred sex scenes than sit here listening to someone convince her she's gay. And despite the earlier flattery, she's just getting tired of repeating herself. So, she channels her mother, thanking him for the great party, but she can't help herself, her bluntness comes back as she tells him she just doesn't want to be there anymore. She thinks briefly that Karma won't be too happy for potentially damaging her chances at popularity, it almost makes her try to continue on with the conversation and mend some bridges. Almost.

Amy left her seat, faltering momentarily when she remembers Karmas jacket was on the grass beside the seat, but Shane hasn't moved and she thinks that she won't go back just yet.

Walking through the drunken crowd Amy finds herself getting more and more frustrated as people shoulder into her, press against her, and one really rude, drunk boy who started to just grind on her. When she finally spotted her friend she didn't notice or even _care_ at that point that Karma was chatting to some boy, grabbing her hand she drags Karma up and through the crowds, not giving her a choice whether they are leaving or not.

"Liam thinks I'm a lesbian." Amy heard Karma complain from behind her. She felt like telling Karma that she's not the only one, but there's something about Shanes vehemence about her being gay that she doesn't want to share with Karma at the moment.

So instead she changes the subject. "Who cares? Let's just go home, put on PJ's and watch House Hunters." It's Friday night and Amy knows that a fifteen year old like herself should want to be out and partying, but all night she's been dying to curl up under the covers with Karma, and watch the mindless nonsense of House Hunters as they talk about everything and nothing.

All of a sudden the house quiets down and no one is pushing at her anymore, all of them having come to a complete stop, except for the drunken swaying. "May I have your attention!" Amy comes to a stop when she sees a circle being made around the cause of her good mood, Shane Harvey stood above everyone on a platform by his family's fireplace, his presence capturing his party's attention. "Two friends of ours are scared tonight. They're hiding in this teeny-tiny dark little closet-afraid to come out, afraid we'll reject them!"

The crowd breaks out in 'boo's'; Amy turns to Karma, and she is faced with a confused look but Amy knows what's happening; the dread pools in her stomach. Shane continues his speech but Amy ignores most of it as her thoughts whirl in her brain as she glances at the room filled to the brimmed with her peers, and if Shane was going where she thought, she wanted out of this damn party now. But then Shane is suddenly in front of her and Amy hasn't been listening to a word he has been saying. "That we accept them." Any thoughts that he wasn't going to _out_ them flew from her mind. "That they're safe. There's only one way I can think of. He grabs their hands and drags them into the middle of their drunk peers. "Let's elect them Homecoming Queens!"

Cheers erupted all around. Amy felt her heart drop into her stomach. Chants of 'All hail the queens' were repeated and Amy stares blindly at her peers, all of whom look excited at their new Queens. It could have been worse; at any other school they would be disgusted. Her gaze caught the sight of her soon-to-be-sister slapping her purse onto the chest of the cliché football player she sort after the minute she arrived at Hester High.

Peering around Shane who had thrust their hands in the air she caught Karmas stunned gaze. "I told you we shouldn't have come!" Amy yells with some kind of satisfaction. This is all Karmas fault and her need to be part of the in-crowd. Yet the anger dissipated when like Amy, Karma looked just as shocked and confused as Amy was.

She was however, very angry with Shane. By ignoring her denials back in the garden, he then thought it would be a good idea to tell the whole party his theory. And if she and Karma were in a _real_ relationship like he thought; he just decides to _out them_. For someone so _gay_ he sure doesn't understand how much of a dick move that would be. Confrontations however, are not her strong suit, so she rips her hand from his grasp, ignoring the supporting look from the boy as it just works to annoy her further, and she storms off out of the house. Hands were clapped on her shoulder, shouts of congratulations and support are thrown her way, she feels herself seething by the time she hits the cool night air. There are couples grinding against each other who thankfully haven't heard the big news, so Amy is allowed a calming breath. She doesn't like being angry. She's easy-going, far too easy going if you were to ask her mom.

"Amy?" Karma said her name carefully, as though Amy would lash out at her. That's not right, Amy thinks. Karma should never have to be careful around her. It's then that she notices her fists clenching tightly by her sides and shoulders tense with tonight's mess.

"Hey." She forces herself to relax, finding it a good deal easier when Karma steps around her to stand facing her. "Can we go?" Amy asks before Karma can say anything more. Her best friend doesn't hesitate, and moments later they are walking down the sidewalk towards Amy's house, silently brushing shoulders every so often as they leave each other to their own thoughts.

The whole school will soon believe that Karma and she were lesbians. Together. Amy thinks that instead of running she should have told everyone that Shane had gotten it wrong. Instead she ran. _Fuck_, how could she be so stupid, all she's done is just reinforced the idea by not denying it.

Beside her she feels Karma shiver. "_Shit_, I forgot your jacket." Amy stops and turns, intending to go back to the god-awful party to get her friends jacket, but Karma stopped her with a hand wrapping around her wrist.

"Its fine, I can ask for it tomorrow. Besides I'm not that cold." Amy only then notices the dark pink shirt she was wearing, pulled tightly over her chest. Amy notices her gaze. "It's Liam's." She perks up. "We ran into each other when I went to get us drinks, like literary ran in to each other. The beer spilt over me and well…it went kind of see-through." Karma blushed and Amy tried, she really tried not to but she burst out laughing. Not only did they get publically outed, but Karma had her nipples on display. Karma slapped her shoulder when Amy wouldn't stop laughing, the tension she's had all night finally breaking. She would feel guilty but when she looked to her best friend, Karma was grinning. Karma has always been good at laughing at herself.

"Are you okay?" Amy finally got round to asking, tugging Karma to keep them walking home.

Karma nodded, smiling. "Not many people saw, or if they did they were too drunk to remember, hopefully." Amy bumped her shoulder with sympathy, though she was about as happy as Karma was about her nipples being seen by everyone.

"So…you abandoned me for Liam, huh?" It comes out light-hearted but something twisted inside her. Karma looks guilty so Amy wraps an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a quick hug to show her that there is no hard feelings. "It's fine." It wasn't. "You got what you wanted right? A chance with Liam."

"Amy." Karma warns her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just left you." Her arm slides around Amy's waist. "Thank you for coming with me though."

Shrugging they turned the corner and Amy saw her house. Thankfully they weren't drunk enough that they had to go the extra couple of blocks to Karma less strict, more liberal parents, but at…Amy pulls out her phone…twelve forty-six, they were still going to have to creep up the stairs past her mom and soon-to-be-step-dads room. "It wasn't all bad." Amy remarks unbelievably. Neither of them needed to call her out on her lie, doing so would only mean mentioning the whole gay thing. Amy was definitely avoiding that conversation. Besides, it was the weekend and they didn't have to deal with any of the consequences until school starts.

Silently, or as quiet as Amy can be, who managed to knock over a picture frame and drop her phone on the floor in her clumsy attempt to remove her boots, made it up to Amy's room without a scolding from her mom. Dropping face first on Amy's bed, Karma groaned into her pillow, the heels she was wearing were not easy on her feet, but she just had to have new shoes for their first high school party. Amy watched as Karma roles onto her back to sit up, pulling one of her legs up so she can rub the ache out. "God, I love your bed, I so need your mattress." Karma pouts as though pouting will actually get Amy to give up her mattress. If her mom would let her, Amy probably would, she ponders, blushing at the thought. Karma could probably get anything from her, and over ten years of friendship she undoubtedly has. Not that she was complaining.

"Yeah well, how else would I get you to grace my company if I just gave up my biggest bargaining tool." Karma chuckles and slides off the bed.

"Your Netflix account helps." Her eyes shine as she grins, Amy's lips lifted into her own smile at the sight. "Besides, half of my clothes are here." True to her words when Karma tugs open the middle draw of her dresser it's filled to the brim of the smaller girl's shorts, t-shirts, even underwear. Not to mention the section Karmas clothes currently take up in her closet. Although, it's not that Amy doesn't have her own wardrobe at Karmas.

Amy playfully shoves her grinning best friend and makes her way into her bathroom; Lauren was being completely insufferable about Amy's better room when first moving in, going as far as to try-and fail, to get her _daddy_ to order them to swap rooms.

Completing her nightly routine she let Karma slip in after her so Amy quickly threw on her pyjamas and slid under the covers, making sure to grab her laptop on the way. She was tired, drop dead really after the night she's just had, but she knows Karma can't really sleep unless there is some kind of background noise, and House Hunters is the perfect way for Amy to wind down. Their sleepover routine by now.

"So…" Karma started as she came out the bathroom, throwing her dirty clothes into Amy's hamper and crawled in the bed besides her. "Our first High School party and we didn't get drunk. Is that a win or fail?"

Amy pretends to take her time thinking before answering. "Fail?" By Karmas standards it may have been, but Amy never planned on getting drunk, not when she thought she would need to look after her best friend who would throw up when talking to cute boy. Who knows what alcohol would do to her best friend.

Karma nodded agreeing. "We'll get another chance though…right?" Karmas usual confidence faltered slightly, insecurity laced her question.

The gay thing has put them on the schools radar, but the moment they voice their _straightness…_Amy doesn't know. It seems Karma hit it off with Liam, but he thought she was a lesbian before Shane made his speech. In our backwards school being lesbians will get them to all the parties, only problem, they are not gay. Yet Amy lies and tells Karma that she's never been more popular, and by the time Monday creeps up she'll get her popularity, so she better get her beauty sleep.

It didn't work, but Karma smiled at her effort and just decides to just leave it all until later.

The next morning she wakes up alone, Karmas side of the bed empty but for a bright lime green post-it note with her best friends handwriting, telling her that Karmas mom rung at the crack of dawn and that she needed her help with something hippie. Amy smiles at the angry face.

Breakfast was as boring as it always is. Her mom asked her about the party, throwing in a comment about how many more parties she was invited to by the time she was Amy's age. The _step-dad-to-be_ casually mentioned the racket she and her friend made; he has yet to learn Karmas name. They are soon joined by Lauren, her dad asked about the _all-girls_ sleepover and Amy scoffed. With a warning glare sent her way from her mom, Amy quickly explained the scoff as a piece of pancake lodged in her throat. At the sight of a smug Lauren, Amy excused herself to her room, quickly clutching her phone as she flopped on her bed. Five texts from Karma, all of which are complaining about working at her parents stall, and having to put up with everyone asking about her brother Zen.

Back and forth they text as Amy works on her homework for the weekend, Karma will of course need something to copy when she only gets half of hers completed. They didn't see each other for the rest of the weekend; Amy didn't want to admit that it was because of the whole _lesbian_ thing. It may not be true, but to be called a lesbian and for everyone to hastily believe it, kind of feels weird. Not to mention come Monday the whole school will be certain that she and Karma are a couple and when they inevitably deny it they are just going to be labelled these weird friends who everyone thought were gay. The whispers won't really bother her, but they will get to Karma.

Amy didn't want that for her. She just doesn't know how to stop it from happening.

Why the hell did she have to say that? Out of all things she could have said; _Liam could have any girl_ was the _first_ thing to come out her mouth. Why couldn't she have said _Liam is a player_, he doesn't care about the girls he has sex with; it's not like it's a secret, the whole school knows about him. And besides, she didn't even mean it that way. It's just, out of all girls he could have, he goes after Karma because she's a lesbian and unavailable. Instead, Amy decides to just put her foot in her mouth and now Karma hates her.

"Fuck." She grumbles into her locker as she pulls out a couple of books. They don't fight like this, not over something serious. What shows are the best, sure, they have even fought about pancakes over waffles. But they never hurt each other like this. She didn't mean what she said, but she stands by the point that Liam isn't good for Karma, her best friend wants romance and this asshole can't give her it.

But what does Amy know, apparently after all these years Karma's been bored with her company. Yet here Amy is, going along with the lesbian ruse so Karma can get her claim to fame. She just can't help herself when it comes to her best friend, all it takes is a coy little smile and Amy's pretending to guide a blind Karma to her bus seat. Now she's a lesbian.

"Congratulations." Someone hands her two cookies, telling Amy that they have her vote. Finally Amy notices the immense number of posters lining the walls, some shoved over her soon-to-be step-sisters face and she can't stop the corners of her lips tugging up in a smile. If there's one good part about this mess, it's seeing Lauren frustrated and furious with her lack of popularity.

By the time her break comes around, Amy is ready to curl up and hide in a bathroom cubicle. People who have never looked at her before have been trying to talk about her and Karmas weekend, about their relationship, handing her baked goods-though that wasn't so bad. She didn't even think about where she was going next, all she wanted to do was get away from her adoring fans so her auto-pilot kicked in and she found herself at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Karma who had her hand rubbing some pregnant girls stomach.

They didn't apologise. They didn't need to. Ten years of friendship and they have perfected conversing with their eyes and reading between the lines. They were good, their early comments have been forgiven and somehow Karma got her to agree to be her girlfriend a little longer; her cute smize certainly didn't hurt. So Amy watched her leave to put on her fake-eyelashes, preparing herself for the schools Tumblr photo shoot. Amy thinks she will just brush her hair.

"Karma would be late for her own funeral-drives me bonkers, but…I love her." She told Ivy, not even having to lie because she loves Karma, she has since they were four, and the warmth in her voice is always there when she speaks about her best friend. Maybe this whole fake relationship wouldn't be too hard after all.

Not a second later and the warmth that pulse through her veins ran cold.

She's kissing that asshole. Karma and Liam are making out, in front of some pretentious piece of crap and…and Amy should be happy for her. She got the guy she wanted. Yet she can't stop the anger that's boiling beneath her skin. She's angry at Liam, not Karma-never Karma. He thinks he can just come between their relationship-their fake relationship, but he doesn't know that. And what the hell is Karma doing? They can't be fake girlfriends if she's going around kissing some guy.

"Hey…You alright?" Ivy rested her hand on her forearm, squeezing it slightly to grab her attention.

Amy nodded, telling her that they couldn't do the photo shoot and without waiting for a reply she left for her locker. It was Gym next and if she gets there early she won't have to deal with the shrieking girls in the locker room.

She manages to avoid Karma the whole period, shooting her down by using one word answers or pretending to be immersed in gym. Her best friend notices nothing. Karma talks to her as though nothing has changed, going on and on about Liam and Amy thinks she should be happy, she should be gushing along with Karma about the hottest guy in school. But her stomach churns hearing about their perfect kiss. Amy wants to tell Karma to stop so she does, much to the shock of the other girl. She's then reminded of the stupid Homecoming speech and Amy loses it.

"Well I'm not." How can she be happy if she has to watch Karma with that asshole, while pretending to be her girlfriend to be popular when she doesn't even want that? "Can't we just go back to how things use to be?" She slumps against the locker, her voice going quiet. Amy doesn't want any of this. It's brought her nothing but trouble, from the party to fighting with Karma.

But Karma didn't want to go back to being unknown. So Amy leaves, she runs from the argument with her eyes stinging. She won't cry, not at school where everyone can see her, but when she gets home and she curl up under her covers in the dark, staring at the glow-in-the-dark starts she and Karma put up years ago, she will let herself go. Things were different and Amy didn't know if she could handle it.

The roof. She hasn't been there before, why would she when she never felt the need to hide from Karma. Today she couldn't face lunch with Karma.

Getting to the edge, Amy dropped her backpack before swinging her legs over the ledge. She was facing the front of the school, looking down on the groups of kids laughing and she feels a twinge in her chest for her best friend. It's not like Amy doesn't understand Karmas need to be popular, she's had it explained to her since they started High School. Her best friend wanted the full High School experience and they are in their sophomore year and like Karma said, only three people in this school knew their names. When she looks down and groups of friends are joking around with each other, she can understand. Amy just didn't know Karma would throw away their friendship for it.

"Don't jump." Karma found her. It kind of pissed her off the way her heart betrayed her anger at Karma.

"Don't flatter yourself." She called back, hoping to hurt her friend just a fraction of how much Amy felt. It's just sucks that she feels guilty about it.

Slightly surprising her, Amy could hear Karmas feet crunch over the stones as she got closer to the edge. Karma is petrified of heights, she must be terrified and Amy has to fight herself from turning around and moving as far from the edge so Karma wouldn't have to deal with it. But before Amy could twitch Karma is squeaking and sitting down on the ledge right beside her.

She apologises. It was actually sweet, but Amy has to stop her when Karma starts insulting herself. Karma is beautiful, amazingly so, and in any other school things would be different. But she doesn't wear full black with lip piecing's and highlighted hair, nor does she wear hemp clothing and perform hunger strikes like her brother. In this school they are considered ordinary. But only because no one knows Karma. Together they are weird, they still dress up on Halloween and not to go to some sexy party; they dance along with Step Up and the hundreds of other dance shows, make up their own routines and memorised half the Disney films they watched as kids. But none of that mattered unless the school could see it. If you're not different, you're not recognised.

All it comes down to eventually, is that Karma needs this more than Amy didn't.

"Let's be lesbians." She finally and awkwardly agreed to the faux relationship, receiving a crushing hug in return. Her arms wrapped around her friends shoulders and at some point they would have to move, but Amy was content sitting on the edge with her best friend in her arms.

They were late for the speech. Karmas legs locked and Amy had to almost carry Karma off the ledge until she could move for herself, by that point they were five minutes late so they sped-walked to the auditorium, stopping moments before to catch their breath, catching the final words of Laurens stirring speech. "We should hold hands." The actual act wasn't weird, but Amy still hesitated. They held hands all the time, just not in front of the entire school. Nevertheless, Karma caught her hand and squeezed, sending her an encouraging smile just as their names were being called.

People loved them. Their cheers deafening and Amy took particular satisfaction when her sights settled on her aggravated sister-to-be, although her happiness didn't last long when her eyes skimmed the crowd, pausing at the sight of an interested look Liam was sending Karmas way. Karma didn't notice, to busy soaking in the popularity, and Amy definitely wasn't going to point him out to her.

It actually wasn't that bad, Karma kept a strong grip on her hand, and as long as Karma was there Amy could do this. But then Lauren happened.

Amy could have slapped herself for talking about their fake relationship in a locker room, anyone could have heard, and it just so happens the worst person possible did. "They're mocking the gay rights movement!" She cried just before Principal Penelope managed to take the mic from her.

The principal turns to her and Karma in all seriousness. "Karma, Amy. Is this true?" The audience went silent, Lauren stood smug and Karma looked resigned to out their fake outing.

Sad and accepting Karma spoke. "We can explain…"

Shit, she cursed in her head. There is no way Amy is going to let Karma go through the backlash. "If we're faking it…" It didn't take a lot of thinking, TV and movies have proven that a kiss is all round proof of love…right? "Would I do this?"

Karma turned to face her just as Amy twisted, her eyes telling Amy that she can't read the situation, but Amy doesn't really know what she's doing either, she's just following her instincts and her instincts are telling her to protect Karma, even if that meant wrapping her arms around the familiar surface of her best friends waist, tugging Karma to her front, and lowering her face to Karmas. Their chests pressed tightly against each other, her heart thumped hard in her chest and she prayed Karma couldn't feel it.

She didn't ask permission. Karma understood what she was doing the moment Amy's hands threaded around her waist, Karma has time to move if she didn't want to go through with it. Amy was confident she wouldn't, the girls drive to be popular is unmatchable.

With only a moment's hesitation, Amy pressed her lips against her best friends.

It was amazing.

Karmas hand slides up her arm to gripped her bicep, using it to pull herself in closer and Amy tightened her own arms so she could slid her lips more comfortable over Karmas incredible full, soft lips. It was slow, her chest felt warm and she smiled into the kiss when Karma did. It was chaste when compared to the drunken tongue slips she was subjected to watch Friday night. But it was amazing. Beautiful. Perfect. Karmas lips are sweet and smooth as Amy's lips pressed more forcible as the kiss when on.

Amy doesn't want this to end. It feels too good to have Karma pressed up against her, to have her lips gliding across her own. But Karma pulls away and Amy's senses come rushing back. The crowd was cheering, confetti fell around them like some cheesy 80's movie, and Karma had this stunning surprised smile gracing her perfect full lip, her eyes opening slowly. "Whoa." She commented and Amy had to agree.

Then, in that split second for Karma to throw her a wink, everything came crashing down. "Way to sell it." Karma felt nothing when Amy felt everything. Something crushed inside her and she fought to keep it from her face, but it slipped through and she couldn't stop it, she could only hastily replace it with a forced smile. Thankfully Karma had already turn to their adoring public with a smile that reaches her ears.

Their kiss was amazing, but that has to be because she hadn't had a kiss like that ever. The few boys she kissed during summer camp had nothing on Karma, but that's because they were just boys, young, inexperienced boys. Karma is just…experienced, so she has to be better, which means the kiss has to be better.

She wasn't given much time to think, Karma was grabbing her hand and pulling her to the mic so she could make their speech. Her hand was tingling. She glanced down to their clasped hands, their fingers intertwined. Amy expected the warmth that was normal; her fingertips tingling as they pressed onto silky skin wasn't. Amy wanted to rip her hand from Karmas, but the desire to hold on tighter won out within her.

The school is cheering again and Amy realises that Karma has finished her speech, Karma raises their hands up high above their heads Karma bows once and when Amy didn't follow, Karma urged her to follow with the widest grin Amy had ever seen. She finds that she will do anything to keep that smile on her best friends face. Smiling just as wide Amy bows and she can hear Karmas giggle over the cheering. Without warning Karma uses the grip on her hand to tug her down a few inches and pressed her soft lips to her cheek, sending said cheek aflame and Amy's not sure if it from embarrassment or Karmas scorching lips.

"Thank you." Karma whispers after the kiss, Amy's breath catches in her throat when Karmas lips come close to brushing her ear.

The vote was unanimous, Lauren and Tommy didn't get even a fourth of the vote. Karma and Amy were officially Hester High's first ever Homecoming Queens. Karma threw her arms around her neck, and her heart jumped at the touch.

It's not for the first time that day did Amy regret going along with this plan.

**AN –** I'm not just writing a recap of the episode, don't worry. That would be completely boring. I am however, going to use some scenes from the series because it's completely amazing. Besides, at this point I've only watch episode 1 and 2, and when I first started writing I hadn't watch episode 2, so it follows the series slightly, but I have my own direction for after episode 1.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just Let It Begin**

**AN –** Thanks for the reading this far, once again this isn't a retelling, there's more to the episode towards the end.

_Chapter Two_

"She can't take your bed though…right?"

Amy turned to her best friend as they sat together on the bus, giving the girl her best are-you-kidding-me look. "You know we practically grew up together in that room." Between the numerous slumber parties and homework sessions, half their week was practically spent in the others room. Amy even has a key to Karmas home. Now if only Amy's mother would let Karma have one.

"We still have my room, and besides…whatever room we're in doesn't _matter_, you're the only reason I'm there." The burst of warmth that covered her cheeks and filled her chest was interrupted with a muffled squeal from behind them. Her cheeks reddened further as she ducked her head. Their classmates had been giggling and whispering at them ever since they stepped foot on the bus, Karma had grabbed her hand like she promised and it wasn't so bad. Annoying though.

Before their Homecoming win and outing, they could have sung and dance naked and still be ignored. Now however, their casual conversations were up for Tumblr posts and Facebook Statuses about Hester's cutest couple. Karma pulls their hands into her lap and using her other hand she cocoons Amy's between them, squeezing them. It was easier to ignore them.

* * *

The rest of the day went similar. The Queens are the talk of the school, Amy has been approached more times than she could stand and she ended up hiding on the roof during her lunch, alone. Karma had text her earlier to say she was busy. With what, Amy didn't know, she hadn't got a reply. The same happened when school finished and Amy had to head back home on her own, suffering a bus full of nosy teenagers. She got off a couple of stops earlier.

Lauren was relentless, moments after Amy shut herself in her room, she was interrupted when Lauren demands Amy start to pack up her belongings for their impending room swap. Once Karma finally joins her she's boasting about her new secret relationship, and Amy gets frustrated with the fake relationship. Yet when Karma beckons Amy to take her place on her bed next to her she won't waver.

Karmas happy. At last she has her popularity, her popular boy and an exciting secret relationship. And here's Amy, giving up her room to keep her fake lesbian relationship from her former beauty queen republican mother, forced to endure unwanted attention from her classmates, and having to hear about Karmas adventures with Liam.

If it wasn't for the blinding smile and excitement behind Karmas eyes, Amy would have back out of their faux relationship. Her mother finding out is definitely the biggest issue here. There is always the option of telling her mom that she and Karma are just faking it but…that would just give her mom more ammo against her. It was probably best to just keep the woman out of her business. It means her soon-to-be-sister will have a one up on her, but it won't last forever. Karma did tell her that they just had to give it a while. Amy just had to keep it up.

So she turned to Shane. He owed her one for getting her in this mess anyway, and Amy didn't exactly know anyone else in this whole school, despite all the new _friends_ she's been making.

Maybe she should have been more specific when she told him to butch it up, he isn't fooling anyone, except her mother apparently. In the end it didn't matter, her mom was going to be at the dance reporting the whole _lesbian Homecoming Queens_ thing, and she punctured the wrong fucking tire, not to mention Karmas going to have backseat quickie with the schools hottest boy and now everything is fucked up and Amy just wants to go home. She never planned on going to this stupid dance.

"Maybe I should just not go." Amy considers out loud. "You can just drop me off here, I'll walk the rest of the way." Shane spared her a small look before turning diligently back to the road. He was an uptight driver, Amy noticed, his hands were gripping the steering wheel at ten-and-two, and his eyes never left the road longer than it took to blink. But he picked her up and dressed _butch_ for her so she doesn't comment on it.

"No way. We'll try to distract her or…do something to the camera, whatever." He turned into the school parking lot. "But you and Karma deserve this dance."

Grimacing, Amy doesn't have the heart to tell him it's all fake, but she clutches on to the idea that Karma really does deserve this crown and lying comes easier. "I know. Can't disappoint our queen, can we?"

"That's the spirit. Now go, I have to change shirts and get rid of this hat hair." He shooed her out of his car.

"The hat wasn't necessary y'know?"

"It's always necessary." Amy finds herself smiling with him as they hand in their tickets, but before he could go off towards the bathroom Amy seizes his wrist when she spots her mother and the camera man talking with Lauren. Using her eyes she pleads with him to help and he doesn't hesitate. Together they're running to her mom and Laurens defending her, Amy stares in disbelieve and panic when everything is coming close to a blowing up in her face.

"Mom. Wait!" She tries to call after her mom, if she stops Amy has no idea what she would do but desperation floods her body and she tries because she's heading straight for Karma.

When her mom reaches out to turn around her best friend all she can do is stare stupidly between Karma and her mom, waiting for the inevitable blow up when her mom puts two and two together.

"Amy." Oh god, here it is. She being dragged to a bible camp. "You knew about this?"

"Mom, I wanted to tell you but I was afraid you wouldn't approve."

Here it is. "Oh that's ridiculous." Amy's breath rushed out in a shock kind of relief.

"Really?" She questioned, not quite believing her mom-_her _mom, was okay with this. A weight she didn't know was there lifted. Her mom approves…of her fake relationship. She's just happy because she doesn't have to lie to her mom about this thing with Karma.

"Honey, her parents are so permissive, it's no big surprise." The joy she felt slips away as both the disappointment Amy feels when knowing her mother really doesn't support them, and the back-handed comments that are saved for Amy, are being used against Karma. Insulting her best friend's parents was normal, Karmas parents did the say in their own way; but to insult Karma.

Things only got worse. "But I'm fine with it…she's not my daughter." Her mom reached out to push some of her hair behind her ear, not even noticing her daughter slowly seething. "Oh, but I do think you should dial back the sleepovers." Her mom whispered as she put back on her show face, and turned back to Karma. Did she really believe that would happen?

Her eyes hardened when her mom left her to go interview Karma, the years of forced religion and back handed compliments built up. How did Amy think her mom would act anyway other than what Amy expected?

Like the decision to kiss Karma, this took little thinking.

Pulling the hair her mother pushed behind her ear back where she wanted it, Amy squared her shoulders and took a deep breath to settle the nerves that begin to flutter in her stomach. What she's about to do could end very, very horribly.

With determine steps, she made her way to Karmas side, taking the crown she earned a surprising look filled with worry from Karma. They both know how her mother could be. Pressing the crown on her head she focused on her mother's face, waiting to gauge the reaction so she knows whether to hide behind Karma or cry with relief. Her mother clearly wasn't good at putting the pieces together, so Amy slides her arm around her _girlfriend's_ shoulders.

"I'm right here mother." Her mom freezes. Karma turns to her, perhaps questioning if she was sure about this. Amy just sends her a wink to reassure Karma that this is what she wants to do. When she turns back her mother stands with her mouth agape but Amy can't take any satisfaction because the camera man is telling them they're live, and Amy wonders if her impromptu surprise has ruined her mother's chance at being a news anchor.

The grip on the hand slung over Karmas shoulders tightens, it gives Amy the determination to continue so she watches as her mother stumbles through a few words before storming off. Amy can't release the tension until the camera man scurries after her flustered mother. The proud smile Karma sent her way made this mess a little better, seeing her mother walk away, while it hurt her to think what her mom may think of her now, it's nothing that she doesn't deserve.

"Are you okay?" Her mom may hate her, but Amy came out…fake come out. Whatever the details, she stood up for herself.

"Yeah." Karma hasn't released her hand, she did however, turn into Amy's body, still smiling at Amy as though she just solved world hunger. "It felt really good actually." The icing on top of the cake came when she saw the open mouthed shock from Lauren. Looks like Amy's keeping her room.

Homecoming _Out_ went amazingly after that, though the moment dampened slightly seeing her mother wiping her eyes by the punch bowl with the cameraman, but Amy was busy on the dance floor with Karma, taking it seriously as when dance around Karmas room to some 80's music. It takes her mind off of the impending conversation she will have to have with her, it works incredible well because all Amy can think of is Karma and her beautiful dress that must be new because there is _no way_ Amy has seen it before.

When the band starts the obligatory slow dance, Karma and Amy slip into position, Karma's hands reaching around Amy's back to rest up on her shoulder blades, Amy's own hands were wrapped around her waist. The thumping in her chest must have been because of the dancing, she thought.

"I'm so proud of you." Karma said into her shoulder.

"For fake coming out?" It seemed wrong now, just not because she wasn't really gay, but it just was. She couldn't quite explain it. Making her mom upset must have hit her harder than she thought.

Karma pulled away from her shoulder, her hands lowering on Amy's back as she did so. They were now inches away from each other's face, further away than their kiss, but with the smooth music and gentle swaying it felt all the more intimate. "For standing up for yourself." Karma corrected with a tiny frown. "Mean, your mom is always giving you these back handed complements-makes me wanna…punch her in the baby maker." They chuckled at the very possible situation. Oh, Karma is polite to a fault when she's faced with Amy's mom, until she's forced with having to listen to how her mom speaks to Amy; then all gloves are off. It only because Amy physically reminds Karma to just forget, a little kick to Karmas shin to stop the girl from insulting her mother back is all Amy had to do.

The fierce protectiveness is just another part of Karma that she loves. "Aww, thanks." Amy then remembers that it's not only her who has big news tonight. Even if Amy would rather not know the sordid details, her obligations as a best friend is to squeal with her. "And I'm proud of you for becoming a woman. _Did it hurt_?" He better not have hurt her.

"Yeah…That didn't happen." Relief flushes her system. Karma didn't succumb to peer pressure, she hasn't just thrown years of the idea of candles and music, and a bed. Even if Karma sounded really into it on the phone earlier.

"Oh really? Why not?"

Karma shrugs half-heartedly, still swaying with the music. "You were right. Liam just sees me as this _cool lesbian_…and I want my first time to be special…" Karma sinks back into her shoulder, both of them tightening their hold as Amy rests the side of her head against Karmas, her soft hair and hard metal of the tiara pressed into her cheek. Karma continued near her ear, her breath tickling Amy's neck. "With someone who loves me."

Without warning, without an explanation, Amy's face breaks out in a grin similar to the one she supressed after Karma told her their kiss was great, but unlike before Amy didn't need to hide it. Karma couldn't see. It was stupid, she's just happy that her best friend isn't some floozy. Tempering her smile she finds that she failing, so she just let go; anyone who does see it thinks their dating anyway. Might as well add to their fantasies.

"Which is why I'm gunna make him fall in love with me." It felt like her heart drops in the pit of her stomach. Amy doesn't want Karma to do this, the thought of Liam getting to put his hands on Karma make her miserable, and it has since she saw them kiss all those days ago. And not because Amy wants more for her _best friend_.

A best friend doesn't want to kiss their best friend in front of all these people, in front of Liam just to show him she could.

Amy loves Karma. Not in the way she should, Amy wouldn't feel her heart plummet if she was just Karmas best friend. The butterflies in her stomach when Karma wraps her arms around her. The tingling in her hand. The heat in her chest; her pounding heart, the hatred that bubbles up when Liam is mentioned. That is not how you love a best friend.

In a moment of realisation, Amy knows that she isn't faking this anymore.

In a single movement Amy released her grip from Karmas waist to press her hands into her shoulders, with a gentle push she put some space between them, finally feeling the room to breathe.

"I…have to go." Refusing to meet Karmas eyes or being put in the position to lie to her, Amy turns and leaves, picking up the pace so she could slip out the gym without Karma following her. Instead of heading for the main exit where Karma would look, Amy headed into the school, it wasn't strictly allowed but it was towards the end of the night and the teachers were more relaxed, so Amy walked freely through the halls without interruption.

This probably wasn't her best idea. In the silence, with only the echo of the band, her thoughts came freely and painfully. Every part of her _wants _to deny this revelation, that this is just some weird reaction to having to kiss and act as a couple with her best friend. Maybe she just wants to have a boyfriend of her own and Karma is just the only person she know, she tries to rationalise.

Or it might be real, and she chokes at the thought. In the privacy of the empty hallways Amy slumps against someones locker, her hands going up to her face.

She can't love Karma. A girl. Her best friend. But the thought of Liam kissing Karma enrages her. Imagining Karmas lips on her own sent her stomach fluttering and her lips tingle when she remembers that she actually has kissed her best friend.

Sliding down the locker she pulled her legs up and under her chin, pressing her forehead against her knees she took a few shaky breaths, her arms wrapping around her crouched form, holding herself in the secluded hall.

This can't be happening, she repeats to herself, praying that saying it a hundred times will make it true and these feeling will just be a fleeting weakness. Yet as the time passed, and Amy still wanted to go to Karma, dance with her, kiss her; be her real girlfriend. Everything she just _can't_ do. Not if she still want to be in her best friend's life.

That's all it comes down to, isn't it? Being with Karma like she thinks she wants, or being without her. Amy can't be without her. In spite of her new found feelings, Karma is everything to her, her only friend. They have been through so much and this can't ruin it. Amy can't ruin it.

Karma needs Amy as her best friend, or so she hopes. When her grams died it was Amy who helped her, when she needed someone to vent to about her perfect brother Amy was there, and when Karma needed a fake girlfriend…

And it's not like it's a one way relationship. Karma was the only person Amy talked to after her dad left them for his nurse, who sat with a doctor for an hour after her first peanut allergy attack landed her in hospital, Karma sat with her and her mother while the doctor went over everything about what they should do if it happens again and how to prevent it from happening again. Karma is there when her mom goes too far and Amy loves her. She can't lose Karma.

Steeling herself, Amy resolved to pretend this never happened, to force herself to get over it or else she loses Karma.

By the time she got up and left, the dance was close to finishing, a few stragglers remained as the band played their last song. Karma had already left it seemed. Pulling out her phone from her bra, she checked the missed calls, most were from Karma along with a lot of texts' asking where she is, Amy had sent her a text after she had calmed down, telling Karma that she didn't feel well. It wasn't going to be the end of the conversation, and Amy wasn't looking forward to it.

Karma wasn't the only one to try and get into touch with her, Shane and her mom had tried, though her mom was the only one to leave her a voicemail. She waited until she was outside and on her way home before listening to her mom's message, the walk was going to be lonely anyway.

When it starts playing she could feel the dread crawl up her throat. "I think that it would be best if you…stay at your…_Karmas_ tonight. I need time to think and…discuss things with Bruce." The message was quick and detached. Amy wasn't too sure if it was any better than having her mom rant and rave about her fake relationship. And possibly her real sexuality.

Amy felt her eyes dampen with tears. She could have just told her mom they are faking it, it would have been beyond embarrassing, but she could go home tonight. Yet she isn't faking, is she? Their relationship is fake, but what do these feeling mean. Growling low in her throat she reminds herself that she is supposed to ignore her feelings. They are just hormones.

Right now, all she wants is her bed-but what if her mom doesn't want her to come back. What if Bruce asks mom to choose.

Karmas all she has left but she can't be around her tonight. Her breathing quickens. Leaning against a nearby street light, Amy presses a hand into her chest, slowing her breathing so it doesn't feel like she's been running a marathon; when she recognises the street she stopped on she groans with annoyance.

Without needing to think, she had made her way to Karmas.

Maybe she should ring her mom, tell her that she's not a lesbian.

What if…No. This is a passing phase, she doesn't know any available boys, all her time is spent with Karma and maybe this is normal. It's the first time anyone, boy or girl, has come in-between them. This is jealously, plain and simple. It just feels like she's losing her _best friend_. That's it.

Bracing herself with the knowledge that she really doesn't have anywhere else to go, she continues what her subconscious wanted her to do and in a few minutes she's standing outside Karmas door, struggling with herself to knock. But she didn't have to in the end. The door flung open and she's faced with a cautious smile from Karma, still dressed in her Homecoming clothes, minus the tiara. She looked beyond worried.

"Geez, you just gunna wait out there all night?" Amy forced a smile but it cracks. Within seconds her lips quivered, her knees buckled and Karma was dragging her into her house, knocking the door closed behind them as Karma pulls her into her arms with a constricting grip. "Oh, sweetie. What happened?" Karma cooed into her ear with a hint of anger.

What could Amy tell her? That since they kissed Amy's had a confusing dream; her soon-to-be-sister has blackmailed her out of room and fifty dollars; her mom has found out that she's gay and now she can't go home tonight. And on top of _everything_, she's had to deal with these…feelings that she just can't explain away. It's particularly challenging when she comes face-to-face with Karma and she still feels the urge to kiss her.

She can't tell Karma everything, so she settles with what she could. "My mom asked me not to come home tonight." Karma stiffens in her arms. She knew what was coming, tightening her arms around Karma so her friend would know that she just wanted Karma, not someone to fight with her mom. "Can I stay here?" She didn't have to ask permission, Karma was dragging her up the stairs and shutting the door to her room before her parents could poke their heads out and stick their noses in.

They were getting change in silence, Amy found herself more than once having to turn away with red cheeks. She doesn't remember ever having done the same before.

"I'm sorry for…all of this, if I—"

"Karma." She interrupted her friends' needless apology. "It was mom's decision, not yours. And…she hasn't kicked me out, she just asked me to stay round here tonight."

Karma scoffs. "Stop defending her."

"I'm not." She argues, turning to Karma who thankfully was fully dressed by now. "My mom…y'know I don't like when she…" Amy pauses. After her dad left them for the twenty-six year old nurse a few years back, her mom changed. She was always a bit weird with Amy; being a former beauty queen she expected her daughter to be just like her, someone to share make-up tips and swap clothes with. Instead she got Amy, even after years of trying to force her to be more like her mother, putting her in competitions, taking her shopping, and setting up playdates with the more popular kids in their little part of Texas. When her dad left she got more intense, not concerning Amy, she had given up trying to make a beauty queen out of her clumsy daughter, but she focused on herself. Amy was just a side thought, the daughter she tells everyone she has after she had shown off her own achievements. Her mom loves her, but sometimes she loves herself more.

Amy never complains, Karma is more than she needs in her life.

She did however, never question if her mom loves her like she has this past hour.

"Hey…" When she had paused for too long Karma approaches her, reaching out for Amy's hand to sandwich it between her own. "Your mom loves you." Amy shouldn't be surprised Karma had read her mind. "Remember when she wouldn't let Bruce move in until you got a say?" Amy nodded, pleasantly surprised that Karma is backing her mom.

"She hasn't kicked me out." Amy pressed on, desperate for Karma to believe because if she could, it would be so much easier for Amy to do so.

Karma nodded with a small forced smile pulling at her lips, silently reassuring Amy. "Well…" She pulled away with a real smile, going to her side of the bed, ripping back the covers and settling in bed. "You're always welcome here." Of course she was, Amy knows it's, Amy's mom knows it, and Karmas parents had told her as much a couple of days ago. But unlike a few days ago, the thought of having to spend the next three years until college in the same house, probably sleeping next to Karma for those nights, it causes a sick fluttering in her stomach. It's the same feeling she has right now.

Patting the bed besides her, Amy went to Karmas light switch, flicking it off before she tentatively slid in besides her best friend. Music from Karmas docking station playing softly in the background. Stiffly she lay on her back, her hands linked on her stomach, her gaze never leaving the ceiling. She could feel Karmas eyes on her, watching her as though she's about to throw herself under a bus.

"I'm fine." Karma hums with disbelief, reaching for one of Amy's linked hands. "Okay, well I'm not…but I will be." And she will…soon, when she can sort through her thoughts and when she can speak to her mom and sort everything through with her. Exactly how Amy's going to do this she's not sure just yet.

She just knows she needs to fix this.

Now if only she could get a good night sleep, but her body's wont relax. Her mind keeps replaying her dream from the other morning. This is the first time they've shared a bed since. She can't help it when her lips tingle with the memory.

Amy let herself, for the first time since she and Karma laid down, look at her best friend. She is so beautiful. Always has been, even before these weird feelings Amy knew it. Liam only looked at her after he thought Karma is a lesbian, and he hasn't even seen the real Karma, they've only spent like what, a total of five hours together.

Maybe, she thinks as she finally felt herself drift off, she should stop comparing herself with Liam Booker.

But he really doesn't deserve Karma.

**AN -** Finally moving into new territory for the next chapter. Thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying it.


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